News
Local

Wood Buffalo Housing signs agreement with Fort Chipewyan Métis

Henry Hunter, president and CEO of the Wood Buffalo Housing and Development Corp., and Cameron MacDonald, president of Metis Local 125 in Fort Chipewyan, sign a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to work together on affordable housing in this handout photo. Supplied Image/WBHDC

A new agreement has the Wood Buffalo Housing and Development Corp. (WBHDC) hoping it will lead to better housing in Fort Chipewyan.

The organization says there memorandum with Métis Local 125, which is based in the northern hamlet, will begin a new relationship capable of providing affordable housing in the area. A review of affordable housing will be conducted in Fort Chipewyan.

“We have to work closer with other local community groups to get an idea of what the needs of the community are,” said Henry Hunter, president and CEO of WBHDC, on Monday. “But right now, we’ve heard stories of four generations of families under one roof because there is no affordable housing, or it’s just scarce.”

In March 2017, WBHDC took five mobile homes originally intended for people who lost their homes during the May 2016 wildfire and sent them to Fort Chipewyan.

People in Fort McMurray showed little interest in the trailers. A high vacancy rate caused by the 2014 collapse in global oil prices meant families that lost homes were able to find housing elsewhere.

But in Fort Chipewyan, Hunter says they had 32 applicants for the units when they arrived. Meanwhile, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation announced plans to build 18 new homes over the next two years.

“That’s an indicator there’s a significant demand for affordable housing in the community,” he said.

The agreement in Fort Chipewyan is not the group’s first expansion into the rural areas. In September, WBHDC signed a similar agreement with the Conklin Resource Development Advisory Committee (CRDAC). Other agreements in Fort McKay, Janvier and Anzac are also being discussed.

“Formalizing our relationship with Wood Buffalo Housing is the first step in working together to address gaps in program and service delivery,” said Cameron MacDonald, president of Métis Local 125. “We look forward to working together to bring these issues forward to the municipality, the province, and other groups associated with safe and affordable housing.”